Consent has taken center stage in national conversations, but how can we help move beyond sound bytes and buzzwords to create real change? Come explore consent and the movements for social change that are fighting against sexual violence to this day. Susan Wright will discuss what she’s learned about consent from her 25 years experience with BDSM advocacy, women’s rights, and victim advocacy services.

Bloodborne pathogens are infectious microorganisms in human blood that can cause disease in humans. These pathogens include, but are not limited to, hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Doing many types of play could put you and your partner(s) at risk for Bloodborne pathogens. Learn what they are, how they are transmitted, how to prevent them in various kinds of play, what to do when accidents happen, and what to do if you are exposed.

In this class you will learn:

What are bloodborne pathogens and how they are transmitted

How to protect yourself and your partner(s) from exposure during various kinds of play

How to negotiate consent around the issue of bloodborne pathogens

What to do when you are potentially exposed

Archer and Tess will facillitate and both hold various BBP certifications from various organizations such as OSHA, The Red Cross, and the Arizona Department of Health, and the National Safety Council (green cross).

ABOUT THE APEX 303’s

Continue your Education with the APEX 303’s. The APEX 303 is designed to provide an advanced education on various topics. Everyone is welcome.

Informed consent was coined by the health care industry. Informed consent is the process by which the treating health care provider discloses appropriate information to a competent patient so that the patient may make a voluntary choice to accept or refuse treatment. It originates from the legal and ethical right the patient has to direct what happens to her body and from the ethical duty of the physician to involve the patient in her health care.

In honor of National Consent Month, we will discuss Informed Consent. No ethical person in BDSM wants to violate consent. However, in a culture where definitions are a moving target, and expectations are wildly varied, how do we get beyond yes to meaningful dialogue where such a solid concept as informed consent exists?

What we will discuss:

Informed Consent in Health Care and how it directly applies to our culture

Consequences-While Malpractice isnt a risk for most of us, our consequences are just as severe

How to discover and discuss reasonable risk

We will give you examples of some of the unhealthy things we do when discussing our scenes and relationships that we dont even recognize

Employing the health care model, you can be in a position to say that youve told your partner everything they need to know, and done everything that you can to make sure everyone has provided informed consent.

NCSF and APEX will be giving away Got Consent? bracelets to everyone who attends!

If there is a subject that you are interested in seeing or teaching, please email Mondays@ArizonaPowerExchange.org.

OPEN TO THE ENTIRE 18+ Community*

In honor of Consent Month, we are opening several classes to the entire 18+ Community in order to bring consent topics to as many people as possible.

$6.00 for Pay Per Event Members, FREE for ALL Access Members.

*Occasionally we will do a class that is open to the entire adult community as a service. Please look for these with the note “Open to our entire 18+ Community”.*

Consensual non-consent in M/s dynamics has long been known as the edgeplay of M/s. Until recently, it was primarily viewed as a relationship dynamic, but is now also being used as a form of play. Even among the M/s community, consensual non-consent is often considered taboo, and leaves people with concerns of abuse. It is hard to give a single definition, as most CNC dynamics are as individual as the people within them. Many people who practice CNC within their dynamic tend to keep to themselves because of a lack of public understanding, which increases the idea that it may be abusive. What is CNC and how does one create consent within it? What does consent look like within CNC? And how do you begin to negotiate a CNC relationship? Learn how CNC is often defined and negotiated, as well as how it works as a daily, 24/7 way of living.

About Cheryl:

Cheryl has been involved in the public BDSM community since 2003. She has a passion for leading submissive discussions and mentoring new submissives. She is proud to have served as past President of Arizona girls of Leather, as a Board member of Phoenix Area Lifestyle Society, and is currently a member of Women in Leather International. She is also a member of Arizona Power Exchange, Masters and slaves Together (MasT) – Phoenix, Phoenix Area Lifestyle Society, and are supporting members of National Coalition for Sexual Freedom.

If there is a subject that you are interested in seeing or teaching, please email Mondays@ArizonaPowerExchange.org.

OPEN TO ALL APEX MEMBERS*

$6.00 for Pay Per Event Members, FREE for ALL Access Members.

*Occasionally we will do a class that is open to the entire adult community as a service. Please look for these with the note “Open to our entire 18+ Community”.*

The lifestyle support group is a facilitated group discussion process. Whether you are new to the scene or have been playing your entire life, this process allows you to share equally in the learning and the discussion. The September discussion topic will be consent. We will discuss frameworks and issues around consent for all types of relationship interactions.

We are bringing in the really cool local sex educator Yana Tallon-Hicks to do an interactive workshop and discussion on Consent and Kink!

Yana is a paid speaker, being brought to you out of love by @AgreeableAgony and the Northampton Rope Group!

Anyone who is able to make donations to help offset the cost of bringing in awesome outside speakers is encouraged to donate. Donations are NOT required, but would be greatly appreciated so that we can make this happen again!

Workshop Description:

This workshop links intentional, consensual communication to greater sexual pleasure. Oftentimes the command “practice consent!” can seem like a tired directive, with little attention paid to how actively practicing consent leads to better communication and therefore greater sexual and intimate pleasure and connection.

Through role plays, worksheets, brainstorms, and discussion, this interactive presentation gets participants practicing the skills necessary to bring consent out of this workshop and into their real-life romantic, intimate, and sexual relationships.

Questions answered in this workshop include:

What does good consent actually look like?

What words do I use?

What does that do for my partner?

What does that do for me?

How do I say no?

How do I accept a no gracefully?

How does becoming informed about communicative consent lead to greater pleasure?

Speaker Bio:

Yana Tallon-Hicks is a consent, sex & sexuality writer and educator living in Northampton, MA. Her work centers around the belief that pleasure-positive & consent-based sex education can positively impact our lives and the world.

Yana’s workshops about sexual pleasure, communication & consent are taught at colleges, high schools, and sex toy shops all over New England. She currently practices Couples Therapy as an MFT Graduate Student Therapist at the Couples Center of the Pioneer Valley in Northampton where she works with dyads from the poly, queer & kink communities.

Read more about Yana & her work here, where you can also read her sex advice column, The V-Spot, found weekly in the Valley Advocate, follow her on Instagram & Twitter, and watch her TEDxTalk: Is the Porn Brain Our New Sex Educator?.

Bring your own questions/thoughts/ideas! If you want to ask an anonymous question please feel free to message the Organizer (lazy-ninja)

Location & Parking info! Please Read1

We will be meeting at the Platform Sports Bar (in Union Station) This month. They have a private room for us where we can hopefully have actual discussions/presenters.

125A Pleasant St, Northampton, MA 01060

We are in the private room in the back. Or Just come in and speak to the host inside — ask for WMPE

PARKING:

The Union Station/Platform Grill lot can be parked in for $5. That $5 will be fully applied toward your bill if you get food or drink at the event. So parking is FREE! — Bring cash.

If you have any questions or concerns about attending a munch, or just want to talk to someone about it first — I am happy to chat with people who have not been to a munch before to try and connect them up with local munch goers, or just allay fears. — Send a message to Me – Lazy-ninja on Fetlife

PS.

POC, queer/trans, differently-abled, anyone, everyone, and then some especially welcome.

“Check your [bull]shit at the door and let the rainbow roll in”

Sometimes we go out for drinks or ice cream afterward. We are just awesome like that.

Consent has taken center stage in national conversations, but how can we help move beyond sound bytes and buzzwords to create real change? Come explore consent and the movements for social change that are fighting against sexual violence to this day. Susan Wright will discuss what she’s learned about consent from her 25 years experience with BDSM advocacy, women’s rights, and victim advocacy services.

If there is a subject that you are interested in seeing or teaching, please email Mondays@ArizonaPowerExchange.org.

OPEN TO THE ENTIRE 18+ Community*

In honor of Consent Month, we are opening several classes to the entire 18+ Community in order to bring consent topics to as many people as possible.

$6.00 for Pay Per Event Members, FREE for ALL Access Members.

*Occasionally we will do a class that is open to the entire adult community as a service. Please look for these with the note “Open to our entire 18+ Community”.*

The Knights of Leather invites you to join us September 9-11, 2016 for an immersive weekend workshop with educator and facilitator Lola.

Have you ever been in a scene and had something unexpected happen and then wondered “wait, was that for them or was that for me?” Whether you’re doing or being done-to, you have probably had this “surprise” experience. Sometimes, it’s not so nice. All too often, we don’t question it. We let it slide, hoping that next time, things will be better, hotter, and just what we want.

A really good scene is a magic moment, a combination of desire, skill, and an open heart, arrived at by good, clear negotiation. Getting to that deep, hot “yes” makes all the difference. How we get there matters – a lot.

In this weekend intensive, we’re going to dive into “yes” and “no”, “give” and “receive”. You’ll learn what these words can (and can’t) mean, and how all participants in a scene can go in feeling completely safe and secure. We’ll explore limits and how to tend them, how to go to your own edge and still feel totally safe. You’ll learn to notice just what it is you do want, why that matters, when to let that show up and when to set that aside. Feeling the difference between receiving a gift and giving one then becomes the foundation on which you build hot & amazing scenes. You’ll fall in love with it and you’ll never go back!

A more detailed schedule and location information will be sent to registered and confirmed attendees. Registration includes the workshop and light snacks, and the play party and snacks. The Friday night meet and greet and meals throughout the weekend are on your own.

A limited number of scholarships are available. Please email communications at knightsofleather dot org for more information.

Lifestyle folks sometimes seem to speak another language. What works in the vanilla world is sometimes demonized in the the lifestyle. Before you know it someone thinks you are disrespectful or predatory when you were just trying to say “hello”. How do you approach people? How do you ask someone to play? How do you effectively negotiate when you don’t have years of experience? Learn some tools to help you navigate the lifestyle language to include: How to approach someone and introduce yourself, avoiding the landmines of negotiation, a working vocabulary of the BDSM alphabet soup, and other effective communication tools.

You will get to see some role played negotiations for some real-life models to help you with the vocabulary to communicate boundaries/limits/wants. You will also get some real-world information on the different ways a negotiation can be structured so you can choose the method most comfortable for you.

The APEX 101 series is an introduction to specific skills. Come learn the basics of these skills. These classes are for beginners, those new to a particular kind of play, or someone wanting a ‘sampling’ of the possibilities and intended to make you comfortable with the general premise of the chosen fetish. Keep your eyes open for the APEX 202 class on your favorite subjects!

The APEX 101 series is designed to be a fun and interactive environment. You will get an overview of the evening, and then you can spend your time learning about the things you are interested in! This is an opportunity to ask questions, see up close how things work and in some cases even try those things!

Whether guidelines for testing recommended by most health care professionals are appropriate for those in the kink community

how to talk to your health care professional about your lifestyle (read: what to say to get what you want!)

What STI test results really mean

How to have a conversation about STIs with partners without using stigmatizing language

How to assess the risks associated with the activities you enjoy

…and more!

This will NOT be a rehash of high school basic safer sex practices! This will be an intimate, frank, mature conversation about how STIs affect the kink community. Please bring your sense of humor and an open mind, and let Whippet and Dee talk dirty to you

Whippet is a smart, sassy, kinky-as-fu*# sex nerd with a background in public health and epidemiology as well as a passion for helping others get fully informed about their kinky shenanigans! He spends long hours contemplating kinktastic activities and environments associated with BDSM and how to make them safer and more fun. His undying love for research has resulted in a rather eclectic collection of toys and tools used for bdsm and sex play (viewings can be arranged). He is currently on the APEX executive committee and has been involved with the community for the past 3 years.

Dee has left a long trail of extremely uncomfortable medical professionals in her wake by asking them direct questions about fisting, watersports, and gang-bangs and staring at them until they give her an answer. She has been an active member of the kink community for over a decade and loves to talk about kinky doings with fellow perverts, which is why she’s in school to be a sex therapist. In her spare time she is a puppy, and she sometimes moonlights as a tentacle monster.

If there is a subject that you are interested in seeing or teaching, please email Mondays@ArizonaPowerExchange.org.

OPEN TO THE ENTIRE 18+ Community*

In honor of Consent Month, we are opening several classes to the entire 18+ Community in order to bring consent topics to as many people as possible.

$6.00 for Pay Per Event Members, FREE for ALL Access Members.

*Occasionally we will do a class that is open to the entire adult community as a service. Please look for these with the note “Open to our entire 18+ Community”.*